In an op-ed for The Hechinger Report, Just Equations Executive Director Pamela Burdman and Research Fellow Alexis Robin Hale discuss roadblocks in the transfer process that keep too many community college students from pursuing STEM careers. They outline several ways to streamline the process and create accessible pathways, including setting clear and consistent transfer requirements and offering more student-centered course scheduling.
To help, rather than hinder, STEM students’ progress toward their college and professional goals, the transfer process needs to change significantly.
First and foremost, universities need to send clear and consistent signals about what hoops community college students should be jumping through in order to transfer. Community colleges must make their course schedules more student-centered, by offering evening and weekend courses and ensuring that courses required for specific degrees are not scheduled at overlapping times.
At the state level, it’s critical to adopt goals for transfer participation and completion (including STEM-specific goals) as well as comprehensive and transparent statewide agreements for math requirements by major. States should also provide transfer planning tools that provide accurate and up-to-date information. For example, the AI Transfer and Articulation Infrastructure Network, led by University of California, Berkeley researchers, is using artificial intelligence technology to help institutions more efficiently identify which community college courses meet university requirements.
For more insights on the role of math in ensuring educational equity, subscribe to Just Equations’ newsletter.
